The present invention relates to apparatus for setting wedges and shaping winding end turn portions that form part of a dynamoelectric machine stator assembly.
In the past, one practice has been to place a stator assembly (comprising a stator core, with windings and wedges disposed in slots thereof) at a first work station; and press wedges and winding side turn portions into slots of the core during a "wedge setting" operation. Then the stator assembly has been moved from wedge setting apparatus at the first station to a second station, and there placed on other apparatus. Thereafter, the winding end turn portions have been shaped or "pressed" to a final desired shape or configuration.
This approach, however, has been somewhat costly in practice. For example, it has been necessary to have two separate machines, one for setting wedges and another for shaping the winding end turns. Also, it has been necessary for an operator to perform a number of time consuming work operations such as placing a stator assembly on a first machine, performing a first work operation, removing the stator assembly from the first machine, placing the stator assembly on a second winding shaping machine, performing a shaping operation, and then removing the stator assembly from the second machine.
After removal from the second machine, the stator assemblies normally have been prebaked, washed, varnish treated, final baked, inspected, and then packed for shipment.
At the previously known wedge setting stations referred to above, the stator assembly has been placed on apparatus having a number of wedge setting blades aligned with, and slightly projecting into, the slots of the stator core. The wedge setting blades then have been moved by a cam actuator outwardly along the slots so as to "set" the wedges, and ensure that the wedges and winding are pressed deeper into slots and away from the bore of the core.
It should now be understood that it would be quite desirable to provide economical and improved methods so that simultaneously setting of wedges and shaping of winding end turns may be accomplished at a single station and, preferably, with one piece of equipment or apparatus. It also would be quite desirable to reduce the time required to accomplish the various manufacturing steps outlined hereinabove. Moreover, it would be desirable to reduce the number of different or sequential steps that must be performed during the wedge setting and end turn pressing operations.